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Muffin Top
A muffin top (also muffin-top) is a slang term typically used to describe a person's body fat that extends horizontally over the edges of the waistline of tightly fitting pants or skirts, visible when there is a gap between the upper and lower garment. The term is a reference to the way a muffin appears when it has been baked in a muffin tin, so that the top of the muffin extends horizontally over and around the top of the tin or casing. Origin ''Muffin-top'' originated as Australian slang in mid-2003, but has since become popular in other English-speaking countries. Its use has also been adopted in many non-English-speaking countries across western Europe, such as Germany or France. It may have been first popularized by the Australian television show ''Kath & Kim''. Australia's ''Macquarie Dictionary'' named "muffin-top" the word of the year in 2006; the American Dialect Society named it one of the "most creative" new terms that same year. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Muffin Top
A muffin top (also muffin-top) is a slang term typically used to describe a person's body fat that extends horizontally over the edges of the waistline of tightly fitting pants or skirts, visible when there is a gap between the upper and lower garment. The term is a reference to the way a muffin appears when it has been baked in a muffin tin, so that the top of the muffin extends horizontally over and around the top of the tin or casing. Origin ''Muffin-top'' originated as Australian slang in mid-2003, but has since become popular in other English-speaking countries. Its use has also been adopted in many non-English-speaking countries across western Europe, such as Germany or France. It may have been first popularized by the Australian television show ''Kath & Kim''. Australia's ''Macquarie Dictionary'' named "muffin-top" the word of the year in 2006; the American Dialect Society named it one of the "most creative" new terms that same year. The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Oxford English Dictionary
The ''Oxford English Dictionary'' (''OED'') is the first and foundational historical dictionary of the English language, published by Oxford University Press (OUP). It traces the historical development of the English language, providing a comprehensive resource to scholars and academic researchers, as well as describing usage in its many variations throughout the world. Work began on the dictionary in 1857, but it was only in 1884 that it began to be published in unbound fascicles as work continued on the project, under the name of ''A New English Dictionary on Historical Principles; Founded Mainly on the Materials Collected by The Philological Society''. In 1895, the title ''The Oxford English Dictionary'' was first used unofficially on the covers of the series, and in 1928 the full dictionary was republished in 10 bound volumes. In 1933, the title ''The Oxford English Dictionary'' fully replaced the former name in all occurrences in its reprinting as 12 volumes with a one-v ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Slang
Slang is vocabulary (words, phrases, and linguistic usages) of an informal register, common in spoken conversation but avoided in formal writing. It also sometimes refers to the language generally exclusive to the members of particular in-groups in order to establish group identity, exclude outsiders, or both. The word itself came about in the 18th century and has been defined in multiple ways since its conception. Etymology of the word ''slang'' In its earliest attested use (1756), the word ''slang'' referred to the vocabulary of "low" or "disreputable" people. By the early nineteenth century, it was no longer exclusively associated with disreputable people, but continued to be applied to usages below the level of standard educated speech. In Scots dialect it meant "talk, chat, gossip", as used by Aberdeen poet William Scott in 1832: "The slang gaed on aboot their war'ly care." In northern English dialect it meant "impertinence, abusive language". The origin of the word is ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Obesity
Obesity is a medical condition, sometimes considered a disease, in which excess body fat has accumulated to such an extent that it may negatively affect health. People are classified as obese when their body mass index (BMI)—a person's weight divided by the square of the person's height—is over ; the range is defined as overweight. Some East Asian countries use lower values to calculate obesity. Obesity is a major cause of disability and is correlated with various diseases and conditions, particularly cardiovascular diseases, type 2 diabetes, obstructive sleep apnea, certain types of cancer, and osteoarthritis. Obesity has individual, socioeconomic, and environmental causes. Some known causes are diet, physical activity, automation, urbanization, genetic susceptibility, medications, mental disorders, economic policies, endocrine disorders, and exposure to endocrine-disrupting chemicals. While a majority of obese individuals at any given time are attempting to ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Dysphemisms
A dysphemism is an expression with connotations that are derogatory either about the subject matter or to the audience. Dysphemisms contrast with neutral or Euphemism, euphemistic expressions. Dysphemism may be motivated by fear, Distasteful, distaste, hatred, contempt, or humour. Etymology The word ''dysphemism'' was composed from the Greek language, Greek elements ''dys'' δύς "mis-" and ''pheme'' φήμη "speech, voice, reputation" in the late 19th century. Related terms include ''malphemism'' (from the Latin Language, Latin ''malus'' "bad"), and ''cacophemism'' (from the Greek language, Greek ''kakos'' κακός "bad"). Usage A dysphemism is a Markedness, marked form (standing out as unusual or divergent) which expresses a speaker's view or attitude towards the listener or group. Types Synecdoche One kind of dysphemism is Synecdoche, synecdochic, where a part is used to represent the whole, such as "What an asshole." Dysphemistic epithets Animal names are freque ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Whale Tail
Whale tail is the Y-shaped rear portion of a thong or G-string when visible above the waistline of low-rise pants, shorts, or skirts that resembles a whale's tail. Popularized by a number of female celebrities including Christina Aguilera, Victoria Beckham, Mariah Carey, Paris Hilton and Britney Spears, displaying whale tails became popular in the early 2000s, together with the popularity of low-rise jeans and thong panties; but quickly waned within the decade. Low-waisted trousers, such as low-rise jeans or hip-huggers, and higher-cut thongs led to greater exposure of the whale tail.Garchik, Leah (2004-08-23). ''"Daily Datebook"''. ''San Francisco Chronicle'': F8. "A Hollister spy says the thong visible from the back of low-rise jeans is called a "whale tail." The trend was also associated with the trend of sporting lower back tattoos. The word was selected by the American Dialect Society in January 2006 as the "most creative word" of 2005. History The rising popularity ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lower-back Tattoo
Tattoos on the lower back became popular in the first decade of the 21st century, and gained a reputation for their erotic appeal. The tattoos were sometimes accentuated by low-rise jeans or crop tops. Their popularity was in part due to the influence of female celebrities. A 2011 study of media stereotypes criticized media portrayals of lower-back tattoos, arguing that they were unfairly cast as a symbol of promiscuity. History Although historically in the western world men are more often tattooed than women, in the early 1990s the practice gained popularity among women. Prior to the late 20th century, women with tattoos were heavily stigmatized, and were rarely found in middle-class society. Lower-back tattoos were popularized in the early 2000s, in part owing to the influence of female celebrities, including Britney Spears, Aaliyah, Christina Ricci and Pamela Anderson. The popularity of low-rise jeans and crop tops may have also spurred the increase in lower-back tattoos. An ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Low-rise Pants
Low-rise pants, also known as "low-cut jeans", "lowriders" or "rap pants", are a type of trousers, pants that sit low-rise (fashion), low on, or below, the Hip (anatomy), hips, usually at least 8 centimetres (3 inches) lower than the navel. Low-rise pants have been available since the 1960’s , in styles for both men and women, with popularity increasing in Western world, the West in the early 1970’s. Terminology The "rise" of any bottom apparel is determined by the distance between the crotch and the waist and is usually around on regular pants. In comparison, the average measurement of low-rise trousers is roughly , with some as little as . Several jeans brands also reflect the rise on the zipper, by creating pants with zippers far shorter than regular pants, usually between , and some manufacturers, such as Dorinha Jeans Wear, even provide zippers. The latter can also be classified as "ultra low-rise jeans", and the small zipper no longer has its traditional functio ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
The New York Times Magazine
''The New York Times Magazine'' is an American Sunday magazine Supplement (publishing), supplement included with the Sunday edition of ''The New York Times''. It features articles longer than those typically in the newspaper and has attracted many notable contributors. The magazine is noted for its photography, especially relating to fashion and style. Its puzzles have been popular since their introduction. History Its first issue was published on September 6, 1896, and contained the first photographs ever printed in the newspaper.The New York Times CompanyNew York Times Timeline 1881-1910. Retrieved on 2009-03-13. In the early decades, it was a section of the broadsheet paper and not an insert as it is today. The creation of a "serious" Sunday magazine was part of a massive overhaul of the newspaper instigated that year by its new owner, Adolph Ochs, who also banned fiction, comic strips and gossip columns from the paper, and is generally credited with saving ''The New York Times ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
William Safire
William Lewis Safire (; Safir; December 17, 1929 – September 27, 2009Safire, William (1986). ''Take My Word for It: More on Language.'' Times Books. . p. 185.) was an American author, columnist, journalist, and presidential speechwriter. He was a long-time syndicated political columnist for ''The New York Times'' and wrote the "On Language" column in ''The New York Times Magazine'' about popular etymology, new or unusual usages, and other language-related topics. Early life Safire was born William Lewis Safir in New York City, the son of Ida ( Panish) and Oliver Craus Safir. His family was Jewish and of Romanian origin on his father's side. Safire later added the "e" to his surname for pronunciation reasons, although some of his relatives continued to use the original spelling. Safire graduated from the Bronx High School of Science, a specialized public high school in New York City. He attended S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications at Syracuse University but droppe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
American Dialect Society
The American Dialect Society (ADS), founded in 1889, is a learned society "dedicated to the study of the English language in North America, and of other languages, or dialects of other languages, influencing it or influenced by it." The Society publishes the academic journal ''American Speech''. Since its foundation, dialectologists in English-speaking North America have affiliated themselves with the American Dialect Society, an association which in its first constitution defined its objective as "the investigation of the spoken English of the United States and Canada" (Constitution, 1890). Over the years, its objective has remained essentially the same, only expanded to encompass "the English language in North America, together with other languages or dialects of other languages influencing it or influenced by it" (Fundamentals, 1991). History The organization was founded as part of an effort to create a comprehensive American dialect dictionary, a near century-long undertaking ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
